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Texas Tech football: Cons of a potential Big 12 only schedule

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 2: The Texas Tech Red Raiders take the field for a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 2, 2013 at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Oklahoma State won the game 52-34 (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 2: The Texas Tech Red Raiders take the field for a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 2, 2013 at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Oklahoma State won the game 52-34 (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders are led onto the field by defensive lineman Broderick Washington Jr #96 and Ty Morrow #57. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are led onto the field by defensive lineman Broderick Washington Jr #96 and Ty Morrow #57. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

There will be no stress-free games

While the non-conference portion of the schedule often has some boring games as was the case last year when Tech crushed Montana State and UTEP in the first two weeks, that’s a part of the season that we should enjoy because it provides us with a couple of stress-free games.  But in 2020, every game will be a white-knuckle ride if there are no non-conference games.

Like most fans, I despise the yearly sacrificing of an FCS weakling to the football gods.  After all, they are no-win propositions.  Win by 50 points and people say that is what you were supposed to do.  Win by only a few points or even worse, lose, and you are a laughing stock.

But those games aren’t going to cease anytime soon.  They are too important to the FCS teams from a revenue standpoint and the FBS teams love them because they are opportunities to allow their team to work through some early-season kinks.

Maybe we should start to enjoy those Saturdays a bit more because they are virtually assured to be nothing but a good time at The Jones.  Without those contests in 2020, we will need extra antacids.

That’s because, unfortunately, Tech is in no position to take any Big 12 team for granted.  After all, the Red Raiders finished in 9th place in the conference standings last year.

Of course, we also saw Matt Wells’ program lose to lowly Kansas a season ago.  Thus, even the Jayhawks scheduled visit to Lubbock this year is no certain victory.  So perhaps after a year of nothing but high-stakes games, we will start to appreciate the early-season gimmes that we tend to complain about.

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